Notes

Religion is a system of beliefs that people follow to make sense of life , to bring meaning to their experience and to bring the comfort and guidance.
Religion helps to explain the creation of the world and recognize and meet the needs of the human spirit
Religion also provides moral codes to live by
The four major type of religion is : Christianity , Judaism , Islam and Hinduism
Denomination - describe the various beliefs and practices between different branches of the same religion
Christianity
protestant , roman catholic , Anglican , Orthodox , Reformed
Lutheran Presbyterian
Methodist
Baptist
Pentecostal
SDA

OLDEST- Hinduism
YOUNGEST- Bahai
FASTEST GROWING- Pentecostalism
LARGEST- Christianity

TRINITY - GOD THE FATHER
GOD THE SON
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

DAY1-God created light and darkness and call it day and night
DAY2- he created the skies
DAY3- he separated the land and seas
DAY4- he created the moon , stars and sun to bring light to earth
DAY5-he created fishes and birds to fill the seas and skies
DAY6- animals and people
DAY7- he rested

Mattew 23: 27 - talks about God as a mother
Mattew 7- 11 - talks about God as a father

THEIR GODS:
Rastafarian- JAH
Revivalism- GOD
vodun- GRAND MATIR
orisha- OLODUMARE
Spiritual Baptist- GOD (JUST LIKE CHRISTIANS)

*Two Caribbean religion that believe in trinity is RASTAFARIAN AND CHRISTIANS
*TWO FORM OF REVIVALISM: ZION AND PUKUMINA
ZION linked with Christianity and PUKUMINA linked with African religion


OBALATA - KNOWN for the creator of the world and humanity
SHANGO- KNOWN for the god of lightening and thunder
OSHUN- KNOWN for the God ruling over water

* 2 instrument use by the spiritual Baptist ; drums and tambourines
* 2 purpose of Christian places of worship: to worship and pray and for guidance and comfort

A tabernacle is a box behind the pulpit that is use to stored the bread offered on communion day.
A cathedral is the head of all churches where the bishop lives.
Basilica is a building like a church but much bigger in height and size and filled with architecture and it is normally where the Pope be.
A assembly hall or tent is a place where people go to pray and worship and is use to bring people together

2 features found in church building:
. alter - use for praying and or receiving communion
. Nave - a center area where people sit


chapel is a small area where people go to pray or worship

3 places u can find chapels ;
. at funeral homes
. at the airports
. in hospitals

In the mandir hindus will sit on the floor facing the shrine . it is important to them that they play music during the worship , and recite sacred scriptures and bhajans sungs

In alter homes there will be a specific area that is been decorated to worship. It is important that elderly bring flowers and gifts onto the shrine every morning and each family member will then carry out their worship before starting their day.






Sects are groups within established religions that follows a system of beliefs that differs from others within their religion
for example Hindus worship Gods without a for (Nirguna) and Gods with form (Saguna)
Other groups including ; Shaiva , Vaishnava , Shakteya , Kali Mai

Judaism
. Orthodox
. flexidox
. reform
. reconstructionist
. conservative
. humanistic
. messianic

Cult- A small created religious group.
. it is found by charismatic Leaders
. they have an high control over there members
. they are radicle in the way they live out their beliefs

3 FEATURES OF RELIGION are worship and festival , prayers


.Prayers - it is a means by which humans communicate with God , Gods or spirit
Prayers may be in a form of written words and movement

WAys people pray;
. together in a group
. individually
. out loud
silence in the mind
. by serving people
. by ritual movements

Some religion has specific rules reguarding prayers , example , Muslim have to pray 5 times a day when they face the mecca and jewws have to pray 3 times a day , morning , afternoon and night , christians uses the lords prayer , hindus pray 2 times a day dawn and dusk.

CHRISTIANS-church
MUSLIMS-masjid , musallah
HINDUS-madir
JEWS-synagogue

Belief system- is a set of core beliefs and practices that a person has influence how they live , what they believe and what they value
Ritual- prescribe particular ways of carrying out worship within different religion

Worship - is a way of showing love , obidence and devotion

Symbols- are objects or signs that carries a meaning


judaism-Star of David
christians- Cross
hindus- Aum

Sacred writing- are books or writin that people believe are inspired by God.

Scared writing helps people understand God and his purpose for humankind also as giving guidance on how we should live

SACRED WRITING
Christian- Bible
Jews- Tenakh
Muslims- Qur'an
Hindus- Ramayan Tulsides
Rastafarian- Holy Piby


Diety is another name for God and also a term for the manifestation of Gods shown in the hindu Gods and Godesses ...such as Brahma , Lakshmi and Durga .


Rites of passage- is a religious customs that marks a particular significant time in a person spirual and physical life.

Example; bar mitvah (for boys) and bat mitvah (for girls) in Judaism to marks the entry of adulthood
. Christians are Christened when they are born to welcome them into Gods family.
. the aqueeqah in Islam where a baby is name , has their head shaved and for the boys circumcise 7 days after
. hindus recieve a sacred tread when they are 8 and it mark the beginning of the child's Spiritual education


Judaism, Christians and Islam believes God originally created a paradise called Eden for humans to enjoy

nOt believing in any god is Atheism

Islam -Arabic
hindus- Sonskri
jadaism-hebrews
christianity-greek
caribbean indeginous - African creole


BIBLE is the written source of authority for christians.

The old testiment part of the bible give people an explanation of how earth come to being and purpose of human life
, tells us how to live a Godly life and provide guidance and encouragement.
. Christians believe that the bible was inspired by God and written by people.

WHAT IS THE TWO MOST POWERFUL COMMANDMENT?
. love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.
. love your Neighbour as yourself


MAJOR MANIFESTATION OF GOD IN HINUISM.
.Hindu main God is BRAHMAN
. Polytheistic ( believing in more than one Gods)
. Monotheistic ( believing in one God)

THE CENTRAL HINDU GODS AS DECENSED FROM BRAHMAN ARE; Brahma , Vishnu and shiva ( also known as brahman trinity)
THE CENTRAL GODDESS IS; Shakti

HINDUS GODS AND GODDESSES:
.BRAHMA is the creator
.VISHNU is the provider and protector of creation
. SHIVA is believe to be the destroyer God ( god of change)
.Lakshmi is goddess of health , beauty , wealth and good fortune ( vishnu's wife)
. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge ,music and creative art .
. Ganesh is the elephant headed God that represent wisdom and intellect. ( many worship when they want to remove obsticle in their life)
.Hanuman is the monkey headed God and incarnation of shiva ( known for courage, strength and devotion)
.Surya is the hindu sun God ( important god for influencing the seasons , Surya control light and warmth)
. Durga is the warrior aspect of Shakti ( created to fight evil force who was over powering the God)
. Durga was created by hindu god sho which form and different part of the body ( in some hindus tradition durga is the wife of shiva)


Relationship with allah in Islam ...
Muslims belief in oneness of God is called Tawhid.
They acll their God Allah ( the arabic word for God)
.THE QUR'AN AND HADITH refers to allah in 99 different ways

Example ; all mighty , mercyful , provider , protector , creator etc

Al- Kaaliq refers to as ALLAH THE CREATOR


hadith 19 of an-Nawawi's 40 hadith - speaks about how everything that happens is under allah control
Surah 2: 21 and 22 - give examples of how allah shows his love for his people through providing for them, also tells reader to show love for allah
Surah 3; 31 - tells us how allah is ready to forgive and have mercy and in response Muslims should show their love for allah by living life dedicating to him
Surah 9: 24 - tells us that allah should be more important to Muslims than any other wordly wealth possession or pleasure




10 PLEAGUES:
1.Water to blood
2.The plague of frog
3.The plague of lice
4.The plague of flies
5.The livestock (pestilence)
6.The plague of boils
7.The plague of hail
8.The plague of Locusts
9.The plague of darkness
10.The death of the first born

Declaration of faith- shahada
Prayer- Salat
giving to the poor-Zakat
fasting - Sawm
Pilgrimage- Hijj




ALL- Omni
ALL POWERFUL- Omnipotent
ALL KNOWING - Omniscience
ALL PRESENT- Omnipresent



Exodus 14- tells us when God decide to part or divide the red sea
Psalms 139- is a well known passage that talks about God knowing everything

What are the two Hindu names for God?
Elohim and Adonai

Jews bible in the Tanakh

When reading from the torah they use a silver pointer (yad) to follow the words so that their finger does not touch the sacred names.

THE 7 HOLY RIVERS :
1. Ganges
2.Sindu
3. Narmada
4. Kaveri
5. Saraswati
6. God- avari
7. Yamuna

2 Spiritual beliefs that they have in the river.
* they believe that when the ashes are release onto the river when they die, their soul will move on quickly to the next life
* they believe that when they take a bathe in the river all their bad karma will be washed away

The city that is the most sacred place to hindu is Varanasi
-why? Because it is consider to be the dwelling place of the lord SHIVA

THE ANIMAL THAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE HINDU DIET IS - THE COW
Another sacred animal to hindu is the cobra and it symbolizes POWER
COW DUNG IS USED FOR - * building materials and disinfectant


Rastafari believes that HAILE SELASSIE is the final empire of Ethiopia was the reincarnated Christ .
Rastafari worship in temples and Tabernacles
ONE OF THE RASTAFARI COMMUNITY IS BOBO SHANTI COMMUNITY IN JAMAICA

Rasterfarian worship through mediating , drumming , chanting , prayer and reasoning. They would worship outside to learn more about faith.


Orisha worship in the leaders yards. They worship through drumming , dancing and singing. They implements symbols and Gods such as beads , cups of water and flowers. They worship is a Palais which in French means Palace but to orisha means a simple hall or building.


Revivalism worship in mission homes. During their worship they will have a table filled and spread with food and candle and will dance anti-clock wise to encourage spirit possessions.
THEY GO FOR HEALING SERVICE IN A PLACE CALLED THE BALM YARD.

FOLLOWING WORSHIP
. ORISHA- Leaders yard that contains a chapel
.SPIRITUAL BAPTIST- church building
. SANTERIA - Senior priest home (CASA DE SANTOS)
.VODUN- Temple called Houn-four or homes of the followers.

Houn four are building that are quite small with mud floors
. it is a graphical district that the vondun priest and priestess is responsible for

-IN the center of hounfours there is a Poteau Mitan
* it is a pole where spirit communicate with worshippers

drumming takes worshippers into a trance, it enable them to be possessed by a loa (spirit)
VONDU PRIEST IS CALLED HOUNGAN
VONDU PRIESTESS IS CALLED MAMBO

COUNTRIES THEY ARE FOUND:
VONDU- Haiti
SPIRITUAL BAPTIST- Trinidad and Barbados
SANTERIA- Cuba , Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
ORISHA- Trinidad and Tobago
RASTAFARIAN- Guyana and Jamaica
RIVIVALISM- Jamaica


what is a missionary is a member of religious group sent in an area to promote their faith or perform ministries of service such as education , health care etc

*the group that uses the chants , drums and rhythm is called Nyabhingi

Figures
Christianity -2 billion
Hinduism- 900 million
Islam - 1.3 billion
Judaism- 14 million



Religion that is linked to catholic is Spiritual Baptist



Many sacred objects in Hindus including : trees , rivers , mountain , animals and plants


PLACES OF WORSHIP FOR THE HINDUS ( mandir)
. Home alter

Sacred plants and trees...
. THE TOLSI TREE - found in many hindu temples especially those dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.
. THE NEEM TREE- it is offer to God and its bitter leaves is chewed on New years day to symbolize the accepting of the good with the bad.
. THE LOTUS FLOWER - it symbolizes beauty , purity and devinity
- also symbolizes the goddess Lakshmi and is one incarnation of the goddess Devi
- also symbolize spirit enlightenment